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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27267349">Hold Onto Memories</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weresilver/pseuds/Weresilver'>Weresilver</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cut &amp; Run - Madeleine Urban &amp; Abigail Roux, Sidewinder Series - Abigail Roux</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Halloween, Multi, Other Untagged Characters, Post-Part &amp; Parcel, Sparse Spanish dialogue, ghost story</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:22:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,134</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27267349</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weresilver/pseuds/Weresilver</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>October 31st, 2013. The first chance they all had to come together since Eli's road trip in the summer. The first time they did so with nothing hanging above any of them. And the first time someone tried to break into Brick &amp; Mortar Books.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kelly Abbott/Nick O'Flaherty, Owen Johns/Riley Williams, Zane Garrett/Ty Grady</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hold Onto Memories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Welcome to possibly the only seasonal fic I will ever write!</p><p>The idea came to me shortly after waking up on September 29th (some days after my last fic update here), and I've been working on it for an exact month. It was finished on October 29th, but I decided to post on the very special day of Halloween.</p><p>Have fun! :D</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Say not in grief they are no more, but live in thankfulness that they were.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Ty had been working on decorating the shop for Halloween since the first day of October, and Zane wasn't sure where it all had come from. He was glad that at least it had been done in parts, the decorations becoming more obvious as the days passed. He'd started with orange string lights, and Zane had almost missed the point of them entirely; they simply made the whole shop seem cozier for fall, inside and out. Then there were new pictures hanging on some of the walls, which had taken him a few days to notice as well. Not that Ty would be hearing that.</p><p>By the beginning of this week, Ty had finished everything up and the shop looked ready for trick-or-treating visitors. There were purple lights along with the orange ones, lining the walls and part of the staircase railing. The other part was covered with fake spider webs. Raven figurines were placed throughout the bookshop, and little plastic bats were hanging from the ceiling or perched on the shelves.</p><p>There were monster stories on display beside the Poe collection that Ty had set up a couple of months ago. Mary Shelley's <em>Frankenstein</em>, Bram Stoker's <em>Dracula,</em> and Robert Louis Stevenson's <em>Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</em>. By each book, there was a bucket of candy that matched the titular characters, sans any candy. Ty had apparently just gotten them and didn't have the time to buy the candy.</p><p>Some of the windows had been decorated with bats, ravens, and small witch stickers. The cats' TNT crate had been replaced by another one, where green and purple tentacles were painted downward from the edge.</p><p>Zane still had to go through the horror section, but he was in absolutely no hurry to see whatever it was that Ty had made of the area. His husband had been in an awfully good mood throughout the entire month as he worked on decorations, though, and Zane was willing to give it a pass just to see his growing excitement as the month went by.</p><p>Now, it was late in the evening of the 31st, and the last of the trick-or-treating crowds were leaving. It had been a much busier afternoon and evening than either of them expected, but luckily, Zane had bought more than enough candy for the masses and themselves, so they were at no risk of running out anytime soon.</p><p>The cats ran out of their hiding spot as soon as the door closed behind the last visitor, waving the little capes that Ty had somehow put on them, and twined themselves around Ty's legs. He picked them up, snuggling them close as Zane came around one of the shelves, watching him with a soft smile.</p><p>He was wearing a plain black t-shirt and a dark pair of jeans, and to Zane's surprise, the witch hat he'd started the day with was still on. He put the cats on the floor once more, and they ran off again before Ty turned to Zane.</p><p>"They are still really skittish," he commented with a chuckle. Looking Zane up and down, Ty raised a questioning brow. "You're really gonna do this with no costume?"</p><p>Zane smiled as he had throughout the day, not really explaining a thing to Ty. "You'll have to wait and see." He moved to his usual chair, picking up his book to read while they waited.</p><p>Ty squinted at him as he moved. Zane had kept the worn-out pair of jeans and old, beaten leather jacket on all day, and if he didn't know his husband any better, he would have thought Zane simply didn't want to bother. But Ty definitely knew better. He was up to something.</p><p>The shop was officially closed for the night, but they had agreed to have the rest of Sidewinder over because, in theory, it would be easier to clean the small kitchen or the loft upstairs than an entire house. Ty was pretty confident they wouldn't be getting anything from the CIA tonight.</p><p>They spent about an hour waiting, Zane reading his book, and Ty playing with the kittens further into the store. A firm knock on their front door startled them out of the quiet moment, and Zane reached the door first simply because he was already closer to it.</p><p>"There you assholes are!" Ty called from inside as soon as he could see who was at the door.</p><p>Owen raised his hands in defeat before saying, "Our flight got delayed! It's not our fault."</p><p>"They waited for us," Riley added with a snicker, "Then Owen almost lost his bag."</p><p>They all laughed as the group spread in the center of the shop, and Owen muttered "traitor" at her. Ty moved to give each of them a hug, then led the five of them to the third floor while Zane locked the front door, but he was soon trailing behind them.</p><p>"Damn, Six," Digger started, examining the decorations all around the shop, "You still go all out on this, huh?" He looked back at Zane with a smirk. "And you let him?"</p><p>"I didn't realize what he was doing until the 17th," Zane shrugged. They were all perfectly aware, though, that even if Zane had noticed it sooner, there wasn't much he could do to stop him.</p><p>Ty pushed a book cart out of the way without commenting and turned the door handle that had been hidden by it, gesturing the group inside with flourish.</p><p>The loft on the top floor seemed much more spacious than the rest of the shop, given the lack of shelves and books, but it was probably one of the smallest rooms, all things considered. The only doors in the open room led to a currently empty closet, a bathroom, and back the way they came. A small kitchen had been set up in a corner, and a modest dining table was in front of it. The opposite corner had a bed and there was something written on the ceiling above it. Some pillows were scattered in the center of the room, but it was otherwise clear.</p><p>"Well, this is neat," Digger announced, quickly looking around before throwing himself onto the pillows.</p><p>The rest of Sidewinder sat down with a little more decorum, forming a half-circle that faced the door. Kelly tossed a small bag to Zane the moment Ty turned to walk to the fridge, and he sat down across the small group with a grin.</p><p>"What the hell are you smuggling to my husband, Doc?" Ty asked, carrying beer and iced tea as he walked up to the group.</p><p>"Nothing illegal!" Kelly claimed, laughing. Riley took the six-pack from him, and Ty handed the tea to Zane before going back for cups and something to eat. "Just making sure we're entertained for the night!"</p><p>Ty glanced back at him but didn't respond, watching the microwave like he could make the corn pop faster by force of will alone. By the time he returned to the middle of the room, Zane was busy loading a nerf gun, and he looked up at him with an innocent smile. "What?"</p><p>Ty narrowed his eyes but sat down beside him without a word, placing the cups and a large bowl of popcorn in the middle of their circle. Ty and Nick were the first to reach out for the popcorn, well aware things would start being thrown sooner rather than later.</p><p>"What the hell happened to your bags, Owen?" Ty asked around a mouthful of popcorn.</p><p>"He grabbed someone else's bag," Riley started before he could even open his mouth to speak, "And someone else took his."</p><p>"In my defense," Owen turned a halfhearted glare at her, "It was a long flight, with way too much time spent waiting in the airport."</p><p>"Would explain why you were on the wrong end of baggage claim," Digger interjected with a smug smile.</p><p>"Either way!" Owen put up his hands before either of them could speak again. "I just grabbed a bag that was almost identical to mine. Took a while for the owner to show up."</p><p>"Next time, Johns, check it over," Nick said casually. "Just in case. Better than having to wait for almost an hour."</p><p>"Oh god." Riley laughed, not even trying to spare Owen's dignity. "That was such a friendly lady!"</p><p>"It's really not that funny," Owen grumbled, taking a swig of his beer.</p><p>"Dude, she was hitting on you," Kelly snickered. "A little old lady was hitting on you, and you didn't even realize it!"</p><p>"I am glad he didn't," Riley said with a quick kiss to Owen's cheek. "It wouldn't have been <em>nearly</em> as funny if he had."</p><p>"You shouldn't be laughing." He poked her on the side, earning a yelp in response that made him smile. "You were on that flight with me!"</p><p>"Yeah, and I told you to sleep!"</p><p>Owen's mumbled response was lost amid the laughter. Riley threw a piece of popcorn at him, just as Zane fired his first shot at Nick to draw his attention.</p><p>"Since we are telling stories," he drawled, ignoring Nick's glare as the others calmed down. "You wanna share why Emma called you 'snake snack'?"</p><p>Nick lowered his head into his hands with a groan, and Kelly let out a bark of laughter. The others erupted in questions, and Nick turned to Kelly with narrowed eyes.</p><p>"Not my fault!" Kelly exclaimed, raising his hands. "No way I could tell it'd stick!"</p><p>"Of course not," Nick sighed. Looking at the others, he knew there was no way he could avoid this story. "We went to the Amazon, for… I don't know, some sort of sloth."</p><p>Kelly snorted. "Because a prehistoric giant sloth is much more likely than some cryptid?" Nick shrugged, and Kelly took over. "The <em>Mapinguari</em> is this one-eyed, man-eating giant, mouth on its abdomen and everything, but that's a different story," he explained with a smirk toward Nick, who had his face in his hands again, trying not to smile. "One month down there, talking to people, trying to figure out sightings and all that shit- next time we are down there, we are taking you with us, Ozone."</p><p>"We are <em>not</em> going down there again," Nick interrupted.</p><p>"Of course we are!"</p><p>Owen chuckled but nodded. "Just give me a call, and I'll see what I can do."</p><p>Kelly cleared his throat, schooling his expression so he could continue. "Well, a couple of weeks in, we had to set up camp in this tiny clearing we found because we lost track of time and it was pretty dark already. Nick and Emma were discussing whatever the hell this thing could be, while Marley and I were trying to get something edible done." He grimaced. "Not the best result, but we were fed. Alex was trying to cram Portuguese in or something, I don't know. She was the first one to notice the snake."</p><p>"Please, Irish." Ty was trying to keep a straight face, but he had a good guess of where the story was going. "Tell me you weren't bitten by a snake <em>again</em>."</p><p>"I wasn't," he grumbled, "Not this time. Next thing any of us knows, there's a fucking Boa or something winding itself around my leg."</p><p>"And not one of us could actually tell whether it was venomous or not, that goddamn rainforest has <em>a lot</em> of snakes." Kelly's laugh was sudden, but he quickly got control of himself again. "Nicko was cursing a blue streak but trying to keep his voice down so the snake didn't bite him."</p><p>"It was a valid concern," Ty said with a nod, "But Boas are all constrictor snakes."</p><p>"Well, we didn't know that!" Nick exclaimed with a wave of his hand. "We tried to pull that snake off of me, but it just coiled tighter. The thing had to be six or seven feet long," he added with a frown. "It took us maybe ten minutes to get it off and far away from us, then ten more for me to feel my leg again."</p><p>"Don't be dramatic, it was maybe fifteen minutes, total." Kelly shrugged. "The snake was hungry and chose you as her snack."</p><p>"Kels-"</p><p>"Think of it this way, O'Flaherty," Zane spoke up before he could continue, barely keeping the grin off his face, "The Boa just wanted to give you a <em>hiss</em>."</p><p>Ty and Nick were glaring at him as the others burst out laughing despite complaining about both the pun and Kelly's explanation of the nickname. Nick grumbled something about Gradys ruining his life, but there was no heat in his voice.</p><p>"Hey, Lone Star?" Ty called, leaning closer to him. He pointed to the nerf gun. "Can I have that for a second?"</p><p>Zane eyed him suspiciously, but there was nothing in his expression that seemed particularly mischievous. He regretted giving him the gun when, not a minute later, Ty shot at him with a smirk on his face.</p><p>"Bad pun penalty, Zane."</p><p>He rolled his eyes, leaning in for a quick kiss and trying to reach for the nerf gun. Ty humored him, but he pushed the gun away from him and out of Zane's reach.</p><p>The conversation resumed as they told jokes at each other's expense, giving updates on what their lives were looking like in the couple of months they spent apart. The rest of the Amazon expedition, Digger's various projects, random little stories from Owen's job, and the occasional amusing mishaps Ty and Zane still encountered in their lives.</p><p>The whole room felt lighter than it usually was. Zane could see that they were all relaxed for once, alcohol notwithstanding. It warmed him to see them here, to see them laughing and at peace with the world and each other. Ty leaned into him, laughing at one of Digger's stories, and Zane wrapped an arm around his shoulders, holding him close.</p><p>Zane wasn't sure how much time they spent like that. There had been some more beer, food, and leftover candies, so he guessed at least a few hours. But his attention was taken from the conversation when the bell rang noisily downstairs. He turned to look at the door, his arm falling away from Ty as he frowned.</p><p>One look at Ty confirmed what he already knew. They weren't waiting for any backdoor deliveries. If some common thief had just broken into the bookshop, they were well out of luck. They stood up together, the voices finally quieting as the others sensed the change in their mood. Ty signaled for them to stay, but Zane doubted they would.</p><p>As soon as they were out of the loft, they reached for the guns they kept hidden around the building for this very situation. Shame it'd come in handy on Halloween. They separated once they reached the bottom of the stairs, Ty moving silently to check the back as Zane moved toward the front door.</p><p>He could hear soft murmurs as he approached as if the man who'd broken in was talking to someone. Zane soon realized it was Spanish, and that he was probably talking to the cats.</p><p>If anything at all happened to those cats, Ty would throw a fit of epic proportions.</p><p>What he found, though, was a man sitting on the floor while he played with the cats on his lap. He seemed to be tanned, a contrast to the all-white clothing he wore. His dark hair was cut short, close to the scalp. Zane stopped short when the man looked up at him. He recognized him, had seen him in plenty of Sidewinder photos over the years.</p><p>The thing was, the man was dead. Wasn't he?</p><p>"<em>Hola</em>, Zane," Eli greeted him warmly. "I would apologize for barging in, but… I can't say I'm sorry." He shrugged. "It's hard enough to get them in one place."</p><p>"What?" He asked dumbly, lowering his gun. He felt Ty coming closer and heard his breath catch when he stopped by his side. He kept his eyes on Eli, trying to make some sense of his presence. "What's going on?"</p><p>"You're-"</p><p>"Just passing by and kind of in a hurry," he interrupted before Ty could make whatever question was swimming in his head. "Where are the others?"</p><p>Zane turned his head when he heard a set of footsteps approaching, most likely Riley's, if the others thought something was wrong. Ty had gone still by his side, staring at their visitor with a frown. Sidewinder fanned out on both of their sides, coming up short just as Ty had.</p><p>"What the shit?" Digger was the one to break the somewhat heavy silence that fell on them. "Is he alive? Am I drunk? Are you a ghost?"</p><p>Eli laughed as Digger rattled off his questions. "No, maybe, and yes." He shook his head fondly, putting the cats on the floor and standing up. "I thought the haunting of your Pandoras would be proof enough of that."</p><p>Kelly, or maybe Owen grumbled something under their breath. Ty reached out to take the gun from Zane's hand, and he placed both their weapons on a shelf nearby. It would still be within reach if they needed it.</p><p>"Okay," Kelly started, "You're a ghost, you're here." He frowned in confusion. "Why in the hell today?"</p><p>"Dude," Owen muttered.</p><p>"A number of cultures believe that the veil between the human and spiritual world is lifted or weakened during this time of the year," Nick said, running a hand over his face. His gaze wasn't particularly focused on anything as he spoke. "Some see it with a somber or fearful mood, others see it as a reason to celebrate." A beat passed in silence before he looked at Eli with narrowed eyes. "And they usually mention the dead visiting their families."</p><p>"Right as usual, Rico," Eli confirmed with a smile. Zane could hear Nick's sigh from where he stood. "I just had to talk to you guys." The smile turned into something melancholy, something that seemed wholly unlike him. "There are some things I thought I'd have more time for…"</p><p>Ty reached for Zane's hand, and he instinctively squeezed it. Everyone seemed tense in the brief pause in the conversation, and Zane wondered if he should stay for whatever this was about to become.</p><p>"I wanted to thank you guys," Eli said, expression warming again, "For everything you've done for me, this summer and before I died." He gestured toward the whole group with a wave of his hand. "For sticking together through all the shit you can't seem to stay out of," he added with a mock frown that quickly melted into another smile as Ty and Nick snorted.</p><p>Ty's smile fell quickly though, and he looked down at his feet. He tightened his hand around Zane's, sucking in a breath. "I'm sorry." His voice was barely above a whisper. "I should've answered when you called, you could have…"</p><p>He trailed off, taking a deep breath in an attempt to keep his emotions in control.</p><p>"Maybe," Eli agreed softly. "But then what?" Ty looked up at him with a frown. "You probably wouldn't have met him," he said, pointing to Zane, "Or it would have been <em>seriously</em> different." He took a couple of steps forward, moving closer to them and avoiding the cats. "You wouldn't be nearly as happy as you are now."</p><p>Ty opened his mouth to speak, but hands were on his face before he could get a word out. Zane let go of his hand, giving a couple of steps back to give them space.</p><p>"<em>Cállate</em>." His voice was firm as he spoke, not letting Ty look away from him. "You carried a lot of shit for all these years, Six." He pulled him into a hug, and the surprise was clear in Ty's eyes, but he returned the embrace. "Trust me, I'll never blame you for what happened. Never did, none of us." Eli glanced at Zane, smirking. "<em>Perdón, pero voy a robarte a tu esposo por un momento.</em>"</p><p>Zane nodded with a laugh. "<em>Adelante</em>." He moved to stand at Riley's side just as Owen stepped away.</p><p>"Stop plotting with my husband, Sanchez," Ty grumbled but there was no heat in his voice.</p><p>Zane couldn't tell who got there first, but the next thing he knew was that the six men of Sidewinder were wrapped around each other in a fierce group hug. He couldn't see Eli through the tangle of limbs, the height difference well and truly hiding him in the middle of the pile.</p><p>"Dude, you're <em>cold</em>," Digger complained.</p><p>"Side-effect of being dead," Eli deadpanned.</p><p>"What, you couldn't be at room temperature?" His only reply was laughter. He groaned, "Shut it, Shortstuff."</p><p>"I believe Doc's the Shortstuff now, isn't he?" They began separating to more laughter and sniffling. Kelly whacked Eli's arm in response, but he was laughing too much to be actually upset at the comment. Half of them were already crying to some degree, and the other half wouldn't be far behind. "<em>Mira</em>, things happen when they have to happen. We lose people, and that's just how things are. That's part of life. Death isn't the end," he added, gesturing to himself, "It's like… A momentary goodbye, and you'll see the people that matter again."</p><p>"For how long have you practiced that little speech?" Nick asked knowingly, eyes glistening.</p><p>"A couple of years, actually," Eli admitted with a laugh. "You guys did all you could for me, and I'm thankful for every single thing. The stories, the birthday celebrations, the fact you actually went along with the crazy road trip plan I laid out, even though most of you didn't really follow the rules." There was some choked up laughter, and Eli looked over each one of his teammates. "You went through so much, together and on your own, and I'm just…" He sighed. "I'm just happy to see you are all here."</p><p>"EZ," Owen called. He drew a breath in to speak, but no word came out. He swallowed hard, struggling to start. "I…"</p><p>"It's alright, Ozone." He gave a light pat to his cheek. "I know."</p><p>Owen let out a shaky sigh and nodded. "I promise you, I'll find him."</p><p>"I don't doubt you will." His voice was soft, but he turned sharply around to face Zane and Riley. "And you two, don't think you're not included." Zane could finally see the emotion in his features as he gave a couple of steps in their direction. "These boys can be tough to keep up with, but I'm very glad you two decided to do it. I don't think I've seen <em>either</em> of them this happy."</p><p>Riley looked past him, focusing on Owen instead. Once the tears had started coming, he'd made no effort to stop them. None of them had. He winked at her, and she turned her attention back to Eli with a smile. "Nowhere else I'd rather be."</p><p>Eli moved in for a hug, and Riley wasn't sure what to do. He whispered something that Zane couldn't make out even as close as he was, but it made her laugh and hug him back. And then he stepped away from her, pulling Zane down into a hug as well. It was an awkward one, given the almost full foot of difference they had in height, but Zane tentatively returned the hug.</p><p>"<em>No podía...</em>" Eli hesitated for a brief moment. "<em>No podía irme sin decir adiós.</em>"</p><p>Zane immediately knew what he was talking about, easily remembering what his words had been in the cemetery in DC. <em>Don't leave them yet</em>. He couldn't say he was surprised that he hadn't, that he'd continued to watch over Sidewinder for a while longer. He squeezed their ghostly visitor, straightening his back and lifting him off the ground as he did it.</p><p>"<em>Ah, mierda!</em>" He cursed some more before Zane put him down with a chuckle that the others echoed. "Jesus, you're as bad as Tyler with that shit." The glare lasted only a few seconds before he shook his head with a smile. "No wonder they like you."</p><p>He stepped away from him, making a show of adjusting his barely rumpled clothes and moving back to where they'd found him by the front door. The cats swarmed his feet almost immediately, and he crouched to scratch behind Jiminy's ear.</p><p>"I should get going," Eli said casually, glancing at the clock behind the counter. He stood with a smile, but it was another melancholy one at best. "Visiting hours and all that."</p><p>Without preamble, Kelly walked up to him, wrapping him in a tight hug that was immediately returned and burying his face in the crook of his neck. "Be good, EZ." He squeezed him and let him go, stepping back with a smile. Eli could only nod.</p><p>Digger came next, taking Eli's face in his hands and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Love you, pookie," he said with a grin.</p><p>"Love you too, sweetcheeks." He gave Digger's wrists a squeeze. He was laughing, but his eyes were glistening in an effort not to cry again, not about this. Not about a temporary goodbye.</p><p>Owen didn't move from under the arm Ty had over his shoulders, sucking in a breath. His voice wavered as he said, "Stay out of trouble, chief."</p><p>"Not much trouble to be in, anymore," he replied softly, shaking his head.</p><p>Ty patted Owen's shoulder then quickly moved toward Eli, barely stopping himself from tackling him in a hug. Ty held him tight, and they were both laughing when he managed to speak. "Safe trip, bro." One of Eli's hands moved to his hair, messing it up in a gesture that said more than words could right now.</p><p>He pushed back with a grin, giving him a silent nod before turning and walking over to Zane and hugging him around the waist. Owen had moved to Riley's side as well.</p><p>Nick's first step forward was hesitant, but he quickly closed the distance, hugging him in much the same way as Ty had just done. "I love you, brother," he managed to choke out, his voice quiet, "And I'll see you around."</p><p>Eli pushed away from him, patting his arms and smiling. "Watch over them in my absence, <em>sí</em>?"</p><p>He frowned, and Eli's smile turned into a grin. "Damn it, Sanchez!" He exclaimed with a bark of laughter, pulling him back for another hug and resting his chin on top of his head.</p><p>"With all that said," Eli said, pushing himself away after a moment. "You all better take care of each other because I don't want to see you assholes in the afterlife for years to come. <em>Years</em>," he emphasized. "In the meantime, all of you can rest assured I'll be watching over and haunting your phones as necessary."</p><p>Kelly pulled Nick close again while the others laughed. Zane had Ty in his arms, and Owen had dragged Digger into a hug as well. Looking at them, Eli let out a sigh that seemed… content. At peace.</p><p>"Love looks good on you guys." He pointed at Digger with a growing smirk and added, "On all of you." He stepped further back until he could put his hand on the doorknob. "Try to remember the good things, it's all… It's all you need to do from here on out."</p><p>It was a heartbeat after he finished talking that a bright, warm light entered the bookshop, like way too strong headlights right in front of them, and they had to close their eyes against it. It was quiet, save for their breathing and sniffling.</p><p>Eli was gone when they opened their eyes again.</p><p>"Well, that exit was unnecessarily dramatic," Owen was the first to say.</p><p>"Nicko?" Kelly called when Nick lowered his head. He was smiling though.</p><p>"That was the last thing I had told him before he died." Nick looked up, glancing at the others. "I wanted to get everyone together, but he said he probably wouldn't be able to make it and wouldn't have me waiting for him," he chuckled. "I never got around calling you guys about it."</p><p>"Well, we are here now," Digger stated, throwing an arm around Nick's shoulder and walking him toward the stairs, "So I say we go back up there and make that other batch of popcorn."</p><p>Kelly walked by Nick's other side. "Dude, you're not touching a microwave tonight," he admonished.</p><p>Owen and Riley followed the discussion a couple of steps behind, going upstairs with the others without a word. Ty jogged to catch up, reminding them that the bookshop <em>was</em> his and Zane's source of income and they'd better not ruin it.</p><p>Zane had stayed put, watching them in amusement. He supposed that maybe, he should have been a little more worried about what they were saying, but he wasn't.</p><p>A light chuckle caught his attention, a familiar sound he hadn't heard in so long that he spun around in surprise. Sitting in one of the stools behind the counter, wearing the same all-white clothes as the visitor that had just left, was the wife he'd lost almost ten years ago.</p><p>"Well, they are an interesting bunch," she said warmly, standing from the stool and walking up to Zane.</p><p>"Becky?" He didn't need any confirmation, but it was all he could think of saying.</p><p>"Hi," she smiled at him. "I just wanted to say I'm proud of you, Zane. I'm happy to see you truly happy." He couldn't help but smile at her words, even if it turned hers a little smug. "And, you know," she pointed somewhere behind him, "I think he might be waiting for you."</p><p>Zane looked over his shoulder, not surprised to find Ty standing a couple of feet away watching them. He turned back to talk to her, to thank her, but she was already gone. He found a small note on the floor, recognizing her neat handwriting on the paper.</p><p>"You okay?" Ty asked softly once Zane pocketed the note and walked up to him. He nodded. "What did they have to say? Eli and Becky's note?"</p><p>"They are at peace."</p><p>Both of them were. And so were they, still among the living. Zane knew that Sidewinder would be able to honor Elias Sanchez's memory by sharing their good memories of him. It was time he started doing the same for Becky.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>So, now go do the best things in life, take a bite of this world while you can.<br/>
And hold on to memories; hold on to every moment to keep them alive.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Title and ending quote comes from Disturbed's song, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG05D3OeJYQ">Hold on to Memories</a>. I hope you enjoyed the story!</p><p>You can find me on <a href="https://ace-diaz.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a>, and on the <a href="https://discord.gg/zEP5ZMG">Brick &amp; Mortar discord server</a> if you are looking for a place to chat! :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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